Mechanical Reproduction

"Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be. This unique existence of the work of art determined the history to which it was subject throughout the time of its existence (p.220)."

 

Dorothea Lange, Japanese Americans line up at Tanforan  Assembly Center, San Bruno, California, 1942

Pictures like this hold such much meaning.  They truly posses the aura that Walter Benjamin talked about.  It shows a true time and place in history.  

Night and Fog

I would first like to talk about the first scene, it is so unreal.  The scene focuses in on a meadow and you think it is a beautiful meadow with crows and such, as the narrator says it is, but as the camera pulls back to a wider shot- you can see the bars and electric fences that surround the meadow.  At that point you realize that something so pretty can be turned into something terrible.  As this is happening the narrator is explaining that in a normal town, at own that has meadows, and fairs and normal life flouting about- can also have a concentration camp, how sad!  The town now has nothing..  No concentration camp, no normal life, no town anymore.  It is so crazy to see the process of building these camps.  The scene in which it shows the process of building the camps like it is just another building.  There is a picture of a man smiling as he is holding blueprints and walking along the nice meadow that will be turned into a horrible place.  It is just really unbelievable that people were able to do this with no care in the world.  

Weber

"The honor of the civil servant is vested in his ability to execute conscientiously the order of the superior authorities, exactly as if the order agreed with his own conviction. This holds even if the order appears wrong to him and if, despite the civil servant’s remonstrances, the authority insists on the order. Without this moral discipline and self-denial, in the highest sense, the whole apparatus would fall to pieces. The honor of the political leader, of the leading statesman, however, lies precisely in an exclusive personal responsibility for what he does, a responsibility he cannot and must not reject or transfer. It is in the nature of officials of high moral standing to be poor politicians, and above all, in the political sense of the word, to be irresponsible politicians" (p. 95).

Explanation:

There are divisions in politics everywhere, and Weber points out the obvious divisions.  Not only are there divisions but the levels they work at are prominent too; the way that they carry out their duties is very different.  The civil servant thrives to do what is right, maybe not in his eyes but in the eye of his employer, or the person above him; therefore they act with "honor" and willingness to carry out their tasks.  The civil servant has to please the person above him, while the political leader serves to carry out and please himself,  He makes it a "personal responsibility" as Weber mentions.  The point he makes is that those in higher power, are not the ones who truly "honor" anything but what they want.  They are poor politicians.  Those below have the true meaning at heart and tend to be more hands on, and more loyal to his duties overall being a better. 

Why I chose it...

I chose this passage because it's so true still to this day.  Weber said this so long ago and it still holds true to politics here in this world, day and age.  It scarily true and if people were able to see that maybe more would change.

Weimar Constitution Book given after graduation  

Weimar Constitution 

The first article I would like to focus on is Article 48.  It is one that I found interesting because of the manner in which it was used once by Hitler to impose his power.  

Article 48:

“If a state (8) does not fulfil the obligations laid upon it by the Reich constitution or the Reich laws, the Reich President may use armed force to cause it to oblige.
In case public safety is seriously threatened or disturbed, the Reich President may take the measures necessary to reestablish law and order, if necessary using armed force. In the pursuit of this aim he may suspend the civil rights described in articles 114, 115, 117, 118, 123, 124 and 154, partially or entirely.
The Reich President has to inform Reichstag immediately about all measures undertaken which are based on paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article. The measures have to be suspended immediately if Reichstag demands so.
If danger is imminent, the state government may, for their specific territory, implement steps as described in paragraph 2. These steps have to be suspended if so demanded by the Reich President or the Reichstag. Further details are provided by Reich law.”

Explanation: 

The article gives the president the right to take action if needed, which could definitely be a good thing, and was intended to be.  But soon after Hitler became President after Hiddenburg’s death he used the power given to control and bring about his reich and Nazism.  This article is not specified in many areas, like what is specifically considered and area in which the president can make these decisions and also what is appropriate force.  

One of the areas of the Weimar Constitution which I found interesting was the Fourth Chapter, Education.  One of the reasons i chose a passage from this section is because one, I am furthering my studies in education so it interests me; also because the US constitution does not guarantee the right of education under the constitution, so it is interesting to read one in another country that does.  

Article 148:

“All schools have to work towards ethical education, patriotic spirit, personal and occupational fitness in the spirit of German nationality and international understanding. In the instruction at public schools it has to be taken into consideration not to hurt the feelings of dissenters. Civics and teaching by doing are school subjects. Every pupil, upon graduation, will be given a copy of the constitution. Secondary education, including Volkshochschulen (general education schools open to everyone) have to be promoted by Reich, states, and communities.”

Explanation 

Its interesting to see the states regulations for schooling in Germany.  The first sentence is mandated to implement German nationalism in all schools, making sure children have a true understanding of the country they live in.  The fact that every student is given a copy of the constitution, also further expresses the sense of nationalism they want the children to gain.  It’s very interesting to see the constitution being incorporated so much, like obtaining a copy of it after graduating.  Another line that stand out is the consideration not to hurt the feelings of dissenters.  Shows a soft spot in Germany, one that I did not know was there due to Nazism. 

Peter Lorre in Fritz Lang's "M"

"M"

As mentioned in the lecture the film starts off with kids playing a game similar to "eenie meenie minny mo," except they talk and chant about death, violence and, killers.  This shows the "desensitization" Germans had during that time, even within the children.  There is no doubt about it that you can see the feelings Fritz had about Nazi Germany, and the direction it was headed.  It portrays a very horrible society.  Its dark and cruel, corrupt and rotten.  The cinematography did a great job conveying the darkness and shadows, also the camera close up and zooms of all the grotesque things and dirty things in places the movie takes you also does a great job showing Germany during the 1930's in the eyes of Fritz.  

As I mentioned above, the first scene really draws me, it is eerie and creepy although it is of kids playing.  You can see as it starts that something from above is peering in, just as we are because of the way it was shot.  The children are content for the time being, but are seem to be being "watched." The lecture describes that the film takes no POV it is just an observer, someone from the outside looking in, just as this scene does.  You tend to think someone on the outside is disconnected with society just as Beckert is.  I would like to connect this scene to another where you most definitely get the presence that someone is there.  As Elsie runs down the street you see her playing to herself and not aware of the world around her, just as in the first scene; the kids may be saying these terrible songs but don't fully understand the violence, but still are not effected by singing about it, again "desensitized." She then comes to a poster which is about the murderer, she stops to read it as she is still playing with the ball- fully emerged in her game, and as that is happening the shadow of the man in black appears, and you can finally see the figure that was most likely lurking above the kids before.       This scene like the other does a good job setting up the movie and what is to come, and also showing an example of the children and society in Germany.  The woman who had called to the children to stop singing that song, was not there as Elsie faced the "man in black," another example of the powerless society in Germany at that time.  

Weimer Cabaret 

"No Time" (Keine Zeit)

There may still be those who live unhurried lives
and don’t care about the hectic pace of these times.
Those who are not yet wildly obsessed
as they devour food from vending machines and make themselves sick.
However, in these frantic times, you meet few of these unhurried people.
Nowadays you stand at the vending machine,
with the token in your trembling paws.
You insert the coin, the tray revolves, and you take some bread.
Then you eat the roll at a frantic pace,
because hundreds of others are right behind you.
You chew and you chew without peace and rest
because there is a voice telling you:
"Insert token, take out bread,
for the food might soon be sold out."
One eats without finesse.

German translation:

Es soll noch Menschen geben,
die ganz gemuetlich leben und sich nicht kuemmern um das Tempo unserer Zeit.
Die noch nicht wild besessen aus Automaten fressen, bis ihnen uebel wird vor lauter Schnelligkeit.
Jedoch in diesen bewegten Zeiten, trifft man nur wenige von diesen Leuten.
Denn heut steht man im Schnellautomaten, mit der Marke im zittrigen Pfoetchen.

Oben steckt man sie rein und dann gibt’s einen Dreh, schon ist unten zum Vorschein ein Broetchen.
Und dann isst man das Broetchen in rasender Hast, denn es warten ja schon hundert andere und man kaut und man kaut, ohne Ruh ohne Rast, denn es sagt eine Stimme, der wandere.
Marke rein, Broetchen raus, schon ist dein Essen aus.
Man ist schnell ohne jede Finesse, der es schmeckt ist ganz ohne Fingresse.

Analysis and why:

** I chose this song  at first because the the title appealed to me, and then upon reading the lyrics the whole song did. It is relatable to the present and also to Nihilism. Many can argue that the world we live in now sadly moves at the same pace.  Everyone is so focused on the end result moving fast to reach their goals, to reach their possible "full potential," but have not yet slowed down to experience everything else.  It is sad but true. Everyone is so used to moving at this pace they literally can not slow down; something might possibly go wrong and not the way it was planned.
The plan: finish high school, go to college, get a real job, get married and have kids. Where is the time to take a year off and experience the beauty in travelling, or just to reflect and learn about yourself? There is as the song says no time.

To be more specific the part that appeals to me the most is the line in which it says:
"Because there is a voice telling you
'Insert token, take out bread,
For the food might be soon be sold out.'"

This explains the way people move and act, like robots.  Like I mentioned before the plan is the american dream that most of us have accepted and choose to go about that path, like robots going through the motions. This song brings about the problems with having no time for anything, it takes a nihilistic view on the world of Germany then, during a time of corruption of government and fearful people, to even now here in America.

"Chuck Out The Men," Friedrich Hollaeander, 1929

"Chuck all the men out of the Reichstag
and chuck all the men out of the courthouse
Men are the problem with humanity
they're blinded by their vanity
Women have passively embraced them
when we could have easily outpaced them
Yes we should have long ago replaced them
or better yet erased them
If we haven't made our feelings clear
we women have had it up to here."

"Es geht durch die ganze Historie
ein Ruf nach Emanzipation
vom Menschen bis zur Infusorie
überall will das Weib auf den Thron.
Vin Hawai-Neger bis zur Berliner Range
braust ein Ruf wie Donnerhall daher:
Was die Männer können, können wir schon lange
und vielleicht ’ne ganze Ecke mehr."

Analysis and why:

I chose the chorus of this triumphant song because although many can argue, many countries have come a long way with the role of women in society. This also relates to the lecture; we learned about leading ladies starring in films and the fear it had on men.  Women during this time were so used to being oppressed as they grew stronger it was their time to express their feelings as they did during the Weimar Cabaret.

Paragraph 175 (Society - Homophobia)

A national prohibition, Paragraph 175, was added to the Reich Penal Code in 1871. It read:1



"An unnatural sex act committed between persons of male sex or by humans with animals is punishable by imprisonment; the loss of civil rights might also be imposed."

When the Nazi's came to power in 1933, they put a halt to efforts seeking reform of this law. In 1935, after the murder of Ernst Roem, the NSDAP amended the Paragraph 175 to close what were seen as loopholes in the current law.

Analysis: 

When the Nazi's came to power in 1933, they put a halt to efforts seeking reform of this law. In 1935, after the murder of Ernst Roem, the NSDAP amended the Paragraph 175 to close what were seen as loopholes in the current law.

Paragraph 175 went through a more specific change when Nazi's came to power because their were loopholes in the previous law. What defines unnatural? What is meant by that. During the time of Nazi power, as mentioned in lectures there were many being oppressed. The women, who found their voice through things such as Weimar Cabaret as mentioned above and also homosexuality.  There were fears associated with both and on the case of paragraph 175, the Nazi's wanted to put an end to it.

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"

I am used to watching films in class because I have taken several film classes, but I have never watched a silent film before seeing, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” I have seen an Expressionism film (Suspiria), so it was easy to tell that Expressionism was portrayed throughout with the use of shadows and irregular shapes.  All things were misshaped such as, the doors, windows, shadows of the people, and even the posters they carried at the fair.  The use of lighting is very distinct as well.  The lights and darks to create the shadows do make the film somewhat of a horror, as mentioned in the lecture. It shows the light and dark that people feel, the insecurities and anxieties people have especially in Germany during that time. They also reflect the dramatic mood of the characters (Dr. Caligari) and film.  Having dramatized the scenery in the film was brilliant, it really set the mood for what was trying to be portrayed. 

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is what starts the scene. You are looking at a crowd of people who gather in the tent of Dr. Caligari to watch the Somnambulist, who can “read the future.”  The scene is dark and you are unsure of what to predict just expected to believe.  The music adds to this unsure feeling of the crowd and also of Germany at that time.  Dr. Caligari tells them what is happening is real, pretty much they should believe what he is saying, they are all being brainwashed and no one questions or comments that what he says and shows may not be the case.  Hitler after WWI was the same, and could be related Dr. Caligari.  Making everyone believe and like his way and methods, he controlled people just as Dr. Caligari controlled the people watching and the somnambulist to murder.  

Passage from Siddharta:

"On the way, Siddhartha also remembered everything he had experienced in the Garden Jetavana, the teaching he had heard there, the divine Buddha, the farewell from Govinda, the conversation with the exalted one. Again he remembered his own words, he had spoken to the exalted one, every word, and with astonishment he became aware of the fact that there he had said things which he had not really known yet at this time. What he had said to Gotama: his, the Buddha's, treasure and secret was not the teachings, but the unexpressable and not teachable, which he had experienced in the hour of his enlightenment—it was nothing but this very thing which he had now gone to experience, what he now began to experience. Now, he had to experience his self. It is true that he had already known for a long time that his self was Atman, in its essence bearing the same eternal characteristics as Brahman. But never, he had really found this self, because he had wanted to capture it in the net of thought. With the body definitely not being the self, and not the spectacle of the senses, so it also was not the thought, not the rational mind, not the learned wisdom, not the learned ability to draw conclusions and to develop previous thoughts in to new ones. No, this world of thought was also still on this side, and nothing could be achieved by killing the random self of the senses, if the random self of thoughts and learned knowledge was fattened on the other hand. Both, the thoughts as well as the senses, were pretty things, the ultimate meaning was hidden behind both of them, both had to be listened to, both had to be played with, both neither had to be scorned nor overestimated, from both the secret voices of the innermost truth had to be attentively perceived. He wanted to strive for nothing, except for what the voice commanded him to strive for, dwell on nothing, except where the voice would advise him to do so. Why had Gotama, at that time, in the hour of all hours, sat down under the bo-tree, where the enlightenment hit him? He had heard a voice, a voice in his own heart, which had commanded him to seek rest under this tree, and he had neither preferred self-castigation, offerings, ablutions, nor prayer, neither food nor drink, neither sleep nor dream, he had obeyed the voice. To obey like this, not to an external command, only to the voice, to be ready like this, this was good, this was necessary, nothing else was necessary."

**I chose this passage because to me it basically sums up the point of the story.  It shows Siddhartha's moment of awakening, the first moment when he was no longer going through the motions but actually thinking, and realizing for himself.  I connect with this because I believe that everyone should experience life, and different experiences through out life for themselves, and I try to live my life that way.  If they are listening to what others have already put into their mind then they are already altered, and are not experiencing anything real through them selves, but in fact, through others.

Analysis: 

This story of Siddhartha is a spiritual journey to reach enlightenment and essentially find one’s self.  Many paths were explored and taken, and learned by Siddhartha and still none left him feeling satisfied, he was still hungry to learn and know more.  Siddhartha has a moment of awakening here where he has realized that there is nothing one person or teacher could tell him, he has to experience it all by himself, to be fully satisfied.  Not only to experience “it” himself, it referring to enlightenment, but he had to experience himself, find out and learn about himself.  In the passage he has the tools he needs, his thoughts as well as his senses.  Siddhartha is use to listening to a set of teachings and rules and following them through as they are supposed to, it’s only when he questions them that he starts his journey. 

Throughout the world now there are different religions, different beliefs that tell you how you are supposed to feel or carry out your life.  This is related to all the different bumps in the road Siddhartha hit, each one he lived through, and then later questioned, “Why is it like this?”  Or “why should things happen this way?”  In nihilism all these beliefs and ideologies are questioned or found untrue.  Just as Siddhartha had questioned these beliefs so do those who have nihilistic views. Also, those who living in Germany during the Dadaism movement, and who were a part of it also questioned and went against the views on how they should live.  In fact they did just the opposite.  It is better to be your own power and not be ruled by others’ beliefs or what people tell you is right, because you may never maximize YOUR full potential.   

Dadaism and the "Dada Manifesto"

It is fair to say people truly suffered from the First World War and that is what brought about this Dada “meaningless” art.  People wanted to stray away from everything that Germany now was and defy it, not just art but Germany as a whole.  Creating this anti-art was a way to express that.  To me it may not be considered “expressionism” and come from the soul as expressionism does, but it does show the feeling of the artists.  It shows the hate and anger they feel, just not expressed so dramatically and with color.

“The movement became famous for its use of "photomontage" as a way of creating a fragmented experience of art, that they believed reflected modern experience and for its "anti-art" stance in favor of depictions of unpleasant even ugly pictures. In Germany, the Dada movement was more consciously political than other Dada movements.”  I picked this passage because it explains Dadaism exactly how I see it.  Ugly art, yes.  So oddly put together like a collage, with so much going on, it is the first thing that came to mind when looking at the pictures.  I also picked this passage, because it is strange to me that in a time of them opposing the war and everything that followed, they seemed to take so much from the war and put it into their art.  To me their art looks like propaganda, which is what I thought it was a first.  It seems odd they would almost mimic it when they just went through such hard times. 

“How can one get rid of everything that smacks of journalism, worms, everything nice and right, blinkered, moralistic, europeanised, enervated? By saying dada. Dada is the world soul, Dada is the pawnshop. Dada is the world's best lily-milk soap. Dada Mr Rubiner, dada Mr Korrodi. Dada Mr Anastasius Lilienstein. In plain language: the hospitality of the Swiss is something to be profoundly appreciated. And in questions of aesthetics the key is quality.”

In Hugo Ball’s Manifesto he is pretty much saying that although the word itself does not have much meaning the movement does.  This movement will be everything, this movement will be a way to turn all that ugliness into something more.  Also, to “rid of everything that smacks of journalism, worms, everything nice and right…” was through the Dadaism movement. Nothing was nice and right after the war, and the view that people had to go back to things being “nice and right” was not one lived through “Dada.” You needed something different, something new, break away from what was before and express and defy as he is doing in his manifesto.  “Each thing has a word,” everything has a name but not only that it’s what that name possess and carries, and the quality in which it is delivered.  At the end of the passage I chose it says, “and in questions of aesthetics the key is quality.”  Pretty much saying what I just said previously, the process in which Dadaism is delivered can make things beautiful again through quality of it, the cooperation and feeling about it that he has.  This can relate to the world in any struggle really.  There is always a different outlook and different approach to see things and do things.  

Nihilism in Dadaism

"Republican Automatons"

George Grosz, 1920

The Artist and his Automatons...

This piece and artist were part of the  Dadaism movement.  I chose this piece because after doing the reflections and assignment for this week I have found Dadaism quite interesting.  A very creative movement that not only expressed the feeling of the artists, but was brought about to promote change in what they viewed as corrupt and wrong.  The picture is quote boring and lifeless especially in the back. The buildings are not very colorful, they almost look like cardboard box cut outs that you might have made to play with as a child.  Either way not very amusing, in general and especially in comparison to the previous paintings in the lecture, which really had beautiful colors and dramatics.  The only amusing piece to this painting is that of these odd figures.  Both men are dressed in suits, like they may be some sort of political figure, being that dadaism was very political.  Also they don't look very life like, stick figures with broken parts.  One with a wooden leg and one with a mechanical arm. Probably broken from the war.  In my opinion these men look like robots, or more like toys then can be wound up and controlled, which was the way in which many acted during and after the war.  They were machines urged by militarism and the former socialism that many dadaists felt betrayed by.  George Grosz witnessed the war first hand, so he had a true passion for the Dadaism movement.  Grosz also changed his named to show his dislike for German nationalism and growing love for America, where he later moved.  

"Grey Day"

George Grosz, 1921

This painting takes after the first one.  It's colors are dull and lifeless and there is not much going on in the picture.  Again a businessman is the star of his piece and in this picture a wall separates him from a wounded soldier. As if the businessman or politician should not be on the same side as the older, worn out soldier.  Factories in the back signifying life moving forward in an orderly manner, also a man going to work which signifies order as well.  If you really look in the back you can see a political figure possibly? Keeping eye on the "order" and life of the soldier and worker.  

"Eclipse of the Sun"

George Grosz, 1926

This picture very conveys a similar message as the other two, but it does look a lot different.  This painting is a live with color, bright colors.  It also has a lot going on like many Dada pictures have, but the first two did not.  It looks like a collage, pieces of importance to someone put together on one canvas.  The political figures are very apparent in this, and have come to life.  This picture is probably my favorite, it is so obviously portraying the corrupt Germany as George Grosz saw it.  There are two men with heads, probably the leaders, who are controlling the men with no heads, which we have seen before in Grosz's previous painting.  they are in a room that almost looks like a gambling room, as if they were about to play a game of cards.  Also one of the men in power is whispering to the other in his ear, also showing the corruption of the politicians. I am not sure what the animal is, maybe a donkey, signifying that they may all be jack@$$es, maybe not at all, but I wouldn't be surprised.  Lastly the "sun" is not only a sun, but it has a US dollar sign on it representing money profited from the war??

Nihilistic views...

All of three paintings and the painter were painted through nihilistic views, because after the War people became nihilistic.  Germany was moving like robots, and people were trying to do things orderly, what Dadaism brought out was more Dionysian .  People should not be limited and controlled by the corrupt system, just as the politicians are in the paintings. They should express themselves, just as Hugo Balls's Dada Manifesto did, so they can maximize their full potential.